An RNA sequencing study led by Per Uhlén from Karolinska Institutet identifies the gene COX7B to be associated with cancer cell resistance to platinum-based chemotherapy, such as cisplatin. The results also demonstrate that the membrane-associated protein CD63 may be used as a surrogate marker for platinum resistance.

Knock-down of COX7B in cancer cells decreased the sensitivity to cisplatin, whereas overexpression recovered the sensitivity. In addition, low COX7B levels correlated with higher mortality rates in patients with various types of cancer and were significantly associated with poor response to chemotherapy in urinary bladder cancer.

The mapping of transcriptomes in individual cells from cisplatin-treated cancers was enabled by the SciLifeLab Eukaryotic Single Cell Genomics unit, providing valuable insights into chemo sensitivity and drug resistance in cancers. The researchers also used the SciLifeLab National Genomics Infrastructure and National Bioinformatics Infrastructure.

Read the full paper in Cancer Medicine